impoverish 
impoverish (im-pov'(-r-ish), v. t. [Formerly 
eiH/iiirei-ixli, eiuporisk (cf. fin/Hirer, ni/i>i>r); < 
OF. em/iorriftx-, eii/mri ri.tx-, stem of certain parts 
of t'lii/Mirrir, i-iipon rir (0(|iiiv. to a/i/inrrir, F. ap- 
;iHiTiY) = Sp. I 'K. oii/iol/rerer = It. iuipnrrrire, 
make poor, < L. ', in, + pauper, poor: see 
IHHH; /Mii-erlii.] 1. To make poor; reduce to 
poverty or indigrncf. 
It is no constant rule tliat trade makes riches ; for there 
may be trade that iinpn-rixli<'n a nation. 
*>! W. Temple, I'nited Province*, vl. 
2. To make poor in quality or character; re- 
in vigor, capacity, productiveness, etc.; 
to deteriorate. 
Nothing can more certainly tend to impoverish all that 
i most beautiful in human thought and lifethan a gener- 
ally accepted belief that man is essentially a beast Tu ori- 
gin and nature. 
St. Gf. Mirart, Nature and Thought, p. 174. 
impoverisher (im-pov'er-ish-er), n. One who 
or that which impoverishes. 
impoverishlyt (im-pov'er-ish-li), ailf. So as to 
impoverish. Imp. Diet. 
impoverishment (im-pov'er-ish-ment), n. [< 
OF. t'ii<iii'< / -ixxement; as impoverish + -merit."] 
The act of impoverishing, or the state of being 
impoverished; a reducing to indigence; reduc- 
tion of vigor, capacity, fertility, etc. ; deteriora- 
tion. 
Latterly, from the impoverishment of the higher classes 
in this country [Egypt[, the demand for white slaves has 
been small. E. W. Lane, Modern Egyptians, I. 234. 
impowert (im-pou'er), ('. t. An obsolete form 
of cnipincer. 
impracticability (im-prak'ti-ka-bil'i-ti), n. [< 
impracticable : see -bility.} 1. The character 
of being impracticable. 
There would be a great waste of time and trouble, and 
an inconvenience often amounting to impracticability, if 
consumers could only obtain the articles they want by 
treating directly witli the producers. J. S. Hill. 
2. Untractableness ; stubbornness. 
impracticable (im-prak'ti-ka-bl), a. and . [= 
F. impratiriihle, = Sp. impracticable = Pg. im- 
/imticavel = It. impraticabile; as in- 8 + practi- 
cable.] I. a. 1. Incapable of accomplishment ; 
not to be practised, performed, carried out, or 
effected by the means at command. 
Every scheme of public utility was rendered impracti- 
cable by their [the barons') continual petty wars with each 
other. Hie tie, tr. of Camoens's Lusiad, Int. 
2. Incapable of being used; unfit for the pur- 
pose intended or desired; unserviceable; un- 
available ; of persons, unmanageable ; untract- 
able. 
The fiction of a material finite universe, moving forward 
in an infinite empty space, cannot bo admitted. It Is al- 
together unreasonable and impracticable. 
Clarice, Leibnitz, Fifth Paper. 
A poor imprtict icable creature ! I tried once or twice to 
know if he was fit for business; but he had scarce talent 
to be groom-porter to an orange-barrow. 
Qolitxmith, Good-natured Man, ii. 
= 8yn. 1. Impossible, Impracticable. See impoxgible. 1 
and 2. Impracticable, Unpractical. The meanings of the 
two words approach each other at two points, but still 
are clearly distinct : (1) Of a thing: impracticable, not pos- 
sible to be done without expense or sacrifice greater than 
is advisable ; unpractical, not dictated by or in harmony 
with the leasons of experience in actual work : as, an tm- 
practiral plan. (2) Of a person : impractical, not easily 
niimaged ; unpractical, not showing that sort of wisdom 
which is the result of experience in affairs. 
II. ti. One who is unmanageable, unreason- 
able, or stubborn. 
A body of men chosen without solicitation of their own 
. . . would scorn such work, but the lawyer regards them 
generally as ... impracticable*. 
Pop. Sci. Mo., XXXII. 762. 
impracticableness (im-prak'ti-ka-bl-nes), n. 
Tuc rh;iiarti T of being impracticable. 
The greatest difficulty in these sieges was from the im- 
^MNnMMMH of the ground. 
Up. Bumet, Hist. Own Times. 
And indeed I do not know a greater mark of an able 
minister than that of rightly adapting the several facul- 
ties of men : nor is any thing more to be lamented than the 
ImtjpraMeatltntu < f doing this in any great degree under 
our present circumstances. Sirift, Present State of Affairs. 
impracticably (ira-prak'ti-ka-bli), adv. In an 
imprarticMble manner. 
Morality not imiinieticablti rigid. Johnson. 
impractical (im-prak'ti-kal), a. [< i- + 
l>rui-ti<'<il.} Unpractical. [Rare.] 
A man who had never got ahead in the world, and who 
nerer tried to; a many-sided indefinite sort of man; a man 
who had proved himself in all the active concerns of life 
a visionary ami inifrticticaf fellou . lliirper't May. 
imprecate (im'pre-kat), r. t. ; pret. and pp. im- 
precated, ppr. iiii/irn-atinii. [< I,. iHiprci-iihi.t, 
iiipreeatiix, pp. of i >n /( citri, iiii'reettri (> It. im- 
prreare = Sp. Pg. imprecar), invoke (good or 
3017 
evil) upon, pray to, call upon, < in, upon, + pre- 
cari, pray: see pray.} 1. To pray for; express 
;i strong desire for; invoke: in a good sense. 
[Rare.] 
Beset as he has been on all sides, he could not refrain 
[from writing |, and would only imprecate patience till he 
shall again have "got the hang " (as he calls It) of an ac- 
runiplishmeiit long disused. 
Lowell, Blglow Papers, 2d ser., p. 6. 
Specifically 2. To call down by prayer, as 
some evil upon an enemy, or in anger ; invoke 
or express a malevolent desire for, as something 
evil. 
Thefalling sicknense Is usuall among the lewes, and they 
use to imprecate it to each other in their anger, as they also 
doe the plague. Purcha*, Pilgrimage, p. 216. 
I on them 
Did imprecate quick ruin, and it came. 
Shelley, The Cencl, Iv. 1. 
Curses always recoil on the head of him who imprecate* 
them. Emerson, Compensation. 
3. To invoke a curse or evil upon ; curse. 
In vain we blast the Minister of Fate, 
And the forlorn physicians imprecate. 
Roctu'ster, Death of Mary, Princess of Orange. 
imprecation (im-pre-ka'shon), n. [= F. iw- 
precation = Sp. imprecation = Pg. imprceacao 
= It. imprccazione, < L. imprecatio(-), inpreca- 
tio(n-), an invoking (of evil), < imprecari, inpre- 
cari, invoke upon : see imprecate?} The act of 
imprecating or invoking evil ; a malediction ; a 
prayer or expressed wisn that a curse or calam- 
ity may befall some one. 
This was done by a maner of imprecation, or as we call 
it by cursing and banning of the parties, and wishing nil 
euill to a light vpon them. 
Puttenham, Arte of Eng. Poesie, p. 40. 
With imprecation! thus he flll'd the air, 
And angry Neptune heard th' unrighteous prayer. 
Pope, Odyssey, ix. 629. 
= Syn. Curse, Execration, etc. See malediction. 
imprecatory (im'pre-ka-to-ri), a. [= F. impre- 
catoire = Sp. imprecatorio; as imprecate + -ory.} 
Of the nature of or containing an imprecation ; 
invoking evil or a curse ; maledictory: as, the 
imprecatory passages in the Psalms. 
imprecision (im-pre-sizh'on), H. [= F. impreci- 
sion ; as t n- 3 + precision.'] Want of precision 
or exactness ; defect of accuracy. Imp. Diet. 
impregnt (im-pren'), r. /. [< OF. empreigner, 
impreigner, etc., F. impregncr = Sp. Pg. impreg- 
nar = It. impregnarc, < LL. impra'gnare, inpra'g- 
nare, impregnate : see impregnate.} To impreg- 
nate. [Poetical.] 
As Jupiter 
On Juno smiles, when he impregnit the clouds 
That shed May flowers. Milton, P. L., Iv. 600. 
Xo wholesome scents impregn the western gale, 
But noxious stench exhal'd by scorching heat. 
Cooper, Hymn to Health. 
impregnability (im-preg-na-bil'i-ti), . [< im- 
pregnable: see -bility.} The state of being im- 
pregnable. 
impregnable (im-preg'na-bl), rt. [Formerly 
also impreignable (the g in this word, as also in 
the simple form pregnable, being erroneously 
inserted, as in foreign, sovereign, and of course 
orig. not pronounced) ; < OF. imprenable, F. im- 
prenable (= Pr. emprenable, imprenable), that 
cannot be taken, < in- priv. + prenablc, that 
may be taken: see pregnable.} 1. Not preg- 
nable; not to be taken or reduced by force: 
as, an impregnable fortress. 
A castle, seated upon the top of a rock, impregnable. 
Sir P. Sidney. 
With him were the horse of Rir Arthur Haslerigge, so 
well armed t hut (if of proof as well within as without) each 
souldier seemed an impregnable fortification. 
Fuller, Worthies, Wiltshire. 
2. Not to be moved, shaken, or overcome ; in- 
vincible: as, impregnable virtue. 
A just man is impregnable, and not to be overcome. 
Burton, Anal, of -Mel., p. 863. 
Pearls and golden Bullets may do much upon the >'m- 
pregnableet Beauty that is. JJoirell, Letters, ii 4. 
impregnableness (im-preg'na-bl-nes), H. Im- 
pregnabilitv. Bailey, 17l'7. 
impregnably (im-preg'na-bli), atlr. In an im- 
pregnable manner ; in a manner to defy attack. 
impregnantt (im-preg'nant), a. and n. [< LL. 
i m/ini'i/iia n(t-)x. ppr. of impraignare, impregna t < : 
see impregnate.} I. a. Impregnating; making 
pregnant. In the quotation, used erroneously 
for impregnate, a. 
Nor was It [chaos] yet impreirnant by the voice of God. 
*Vr T. Broifne, Religio Medici. 
II. H. That which impregnates. [Rare.] 
It [interest] is the pole to which we turn, and our sym- 
pathizingjudgementsseldom decline from the din . i i, ,n , 4 
this impreynant. Glanvillc, Vanity of Dogmatizing, xiv. 
impresario 
impregnate (im-preg'nat), v. ; pret. and pp. im- 
/ii'ii/nii/eil, ppr. im/ii'fgiiiiting. [< LL. im)>ra!g- 
Hillil.i, lip. ill' iiii/iriigiiiiri; iiiju-ni/iiili-e (> It. 11/1- 
//;/"'"'' = Sp. Pg. iiHpn<i>iiir = F. iin/iri':gner, 
> E. impregn, q. v.), make pregnant, < L. in, 
in, + iiririjiiini(l-)fs, pregnant,: see pregnant.] 
1. trans. 1. To make pregnant, as a female; 
cause to conceive ; get with young; fertilize. 
2. To transmit or infuse an active principle 
into; fecundate; fertilize; imbue. 
The winds that blow from . . . the western desert are 
'//,/" 'nutted with death in every gale. 
Ooldtmith, Citizen of the World, Ixte. 
3. To infuse into, as particles of another sub- 
stance ; communicate the qualities of another 
substance to, as (in pharmacy) by mixture, di- 
gestion, etc.; saturate. 
The air of this place [Vesuvius) must be very much im- 
prtynated with saltpetre. 
Aitilimiii, Remarks on Italy (ed. Bohn), I. 439. 
Impregnating-tube. In certain forms of fungi the an- 
therid arises by the side of the obsphere, either as a branch 
from it or terminal from a hypha near it, and is applied 
closely to its wail, through which it sends a delicate tube, 
the impregnatin'j'tube. Through this tube the gono- 
Elasm enters the oosphere, and the act of impregnation 
i accomplished. 
II. intrants. To become impregnated or preg- 
nant. [Rare.] 
Were they, like Spanish Jennets, to impregnate by the 
winds, they could not have thought on a more proper In- 
vention. Addion, Spectator, No. 127. 
impregnate (im-preg'nat), a. [< impregnate, 
r.} Rendered prolific or fruitful ; impregnated. 
(In the second extract impregnate is used by mistake in 
the sense of impregnable.] 
There Juno stopp'd, and (her fair steeds unloos d) 
Of air condens'a a vapour circumf us'd : 
For these, impregnate with celestial dew, 
On 8imois' brink ambrosial herbage grew. 
Pope, Iliad, v. 96a 
Bring me the caitiff here before my face, 
Tim made impregnate as Achilles was. 
DUrJey, Two Queens of Brentford, U. 
impregnation (im-preg-na'shon), M. [= F. I'TO- 
pregiialion = Pr. impregiiacio, enprcgnacio = Sp. 
impregnacion = Pg. impregna^So = It. impreg- 
nazione, < ML. inipra'gnatio(n-), < LL. imprceg- 
nare, inpragnare, impregnate: see impregnate.} 
1. The act of impregnating, or the state of be- 
ing impregnated ; fertilization; fecundation. 
Impregnation is the physical admixture of protoplasmic 
matter derived from two sources, which may be either dif- 
ferent parts of the same organism, or different organisms. 
Huxley, Anat. Invert, p. 32. 
2. Intimate mixture of parts or particles; infu- 
sion; saturation. 3. ThatwitUwhichanything 
is impregnated. 
What could Implant in the body such peculiar impreg- 
nations f Derham, Physico- Theology. 
4. In geol., an irregular form of mineral depos- 
it, not a true vein, but having some of the char- 
acters of one. See segregation, segregated rein 
(under rein), and carbona. 
impregnatory (im-preg'na-to-ri), a. [< impreg- 
nate + -ory.} Relating to or connected with 
impregnation; impregnating. 
According to Berkley, " the spermatozoids vary a little 
in shape. Derbes and Holier figure many of them with a 
delicate appendage. . . . There can, however, be little 
doubt that they are truly impreunatory organs." 
/.'. Kentley, Botany, p. 883. 
imprejudicate (im-pre-jo"di-kat), a. [< in- 3 + 
prejudicatc.} Not prejudged; unprejudiced; 
not prepossessed ; impartial. 
The solid reason of one man is as sufficient as the clam- 
our of a whole nation, and with impremdicated apprehen- 
sions begets as firm a belief as the authority or aggregated 
testimony of many hundreds. 
Sir T. Brovne, Vulg. Err., L 7. 
imprenablet (im-pre'na-bl), a. An obsolete 
variant of impregnable. 
impreparation (im-prep-a-ra'shon), . [< n- 3 
+ preparation.} Lack oif preparation ; unpre- 
paredness; unreadiness. 
Which impreparation and unreadiness when they find 
in us, they turn It to the soothing up of themselves In that 
cursed fancy. Haulier, Eccles. Polity, v. i 
impresa (im-pra'sS), n. [It.: see imprese, ii- 
/>re.ss3, and enwrixe.} A device : an Italian term 
often used in English, especially of such devices 
as were peculiarly personal in their character. 
See derice, 7, and impnxxi, ., 2. Also i'm ; 
My impreta to your Lordship, a swan flying to a laurel 
for shelter ; the mot, amor est mihi causa. 
Webtter, Monumental Column (endX 
impresario (im-pre-sa'ri-o), H. [It. impresario, 
undertaker, stage-manager, < impresa, enter- 
prise, = E. emprise: see emprise.} A manager, 
agent, or conductor of a troupe of operatic 
or concert singers; also, rarely, a teacher or 
trainer of such singers. 
